Nine Lives
by Venusaurite
Summary: In the middle of a war between Pokémon and humans, a Ninetales is killed by a freak accident. After she dies, Arceus grants her a second chance to save her life. And then a third. Ninetales just can't seem to keep living, and a funny thing is happening- with each death, she loses a tail. What'll happen if she reaches zero?
1. Chapter 1

"You almost died, and now you want to kill yourself?" He screams, lashing his tail in frustration. She can't hear. She stands at the edge of the cliff numbly, looking down at the ocean below, deafened by the taunting of the waves.

"Listen to me!" the Arcanine cries, almost pleads, "Ninetales, just listen!"

She finally turns, something in her ruby eyes replaced by emptiness.

"Please," she says, and Arcanine's heart wrenches, "Arcanine, I've seen too much. I've killed too many. You can't stop me, Arcanine. The war will be over where I'll be. Don't be sad. I won't have to kill anybody anymore. You'll see me again someday. You can let me go. This way, there's less pain for everyone. I'm choosing how I die. I don't want to have my throat ripped out by my friends, or worse, I don't want to live until I'm old with what I've done."

She pauses, taking a longing glance at her death below her, and says quietly, "Just let me go."

Arcanine is fast to say, "No." He sits down next to her, "I can't. Ninetales, we can survive this. We can survive the war and live out our happy ever after," his heart leaps, and he repeats, "Happy ever after, Ninetales. You want that, right?"

Ninetales looks down again and prods the cliff edge, "We can't. Even if Pokémon do wipe out humankind, what can we do? Do you know how many people I've killed?"

Suddenly she is angry, literally ablaze with anger, flames rippling through her coat and her nine long tails standing on end, "Do you, Arcanine? Sixteen. I killed my trainer. I killed more than my trainer. Arcanine, I've been killing innocent humanity every day, and that's only directly. I have had to wash out sixteen different bloodstains from my coat, not counting the ones who I've exploded, burned, driven insane, or blinded! Arcanine, come on. Do you know what it's like? Going out every day to fight a war against our friends? No, you stay at home. You tend flowers, Arcanine, _flowers. _Have you ever been fighting a human sword-on-teeth? Have you been away from home for over two years, to fight in trenches against an enemy you don't hate? Have you seen your son die in front of you?"

She claws fiercely at the rock in front of her, but her anger has subsided. Wearily, Ninetales mumbles, "I don't have to be talking to you. I could do it right now."

Arcanine's fur ripples in shock, and he quickly tries a different approach, "P-please don't. I mean, talk with me for a little while. I can tell you what's going on."

Ninetales is still looking down, but she smiles sadly, "Shoot."

Arcanine launches into a speech he prepared for when his mate came home, but he didn't expect to first see her like this. He was only supposed to be gathering mountain poppies, for Arceus's sake! But here he is, trying to talk her out of suicide. Funny how events turn out, he thinks bitterly.

"Vulpix is growing up to be like you. She's a rebel, she is. Wants to join the army with you someday. She keeps on trying on your old assault vests. They're way too big for her."

Ninetales forces another smile down her throat as a picture of her daughter inside the cave of an oversized vest rises in her mind. Damnit, this isn't how it's supposed to go!

"And Growlithe, he's daddy's boy. He's learned ember already. Big, beautiful little guy. He won the art award for walking over a canvas with red paint on his feet. He called it 'Mommy's footprints'," Arcanine clears his throat, "You know, they're waiting for you to come back. They're at Rapidash's right now. Growlithe wants to teach their little girl ember."

"What a little ladies' man," Ninetales' voice cracks as she says it.

"Please. Ninetales, don't do this to yourself. To the kids. Think of our kids. What am I supposed to tell them if I let you die?"

Ninetales, again, claws at the surface beneath her. A few pebbles break free and plummet into the sea. She stares at their ripples, swallowed by a wave.

"Ninetales!" Arcanine's voice shrills, and Ninetales realizes she is falling, the rock below her suddenly no more. She looks up and Arcanine is there, screaming for her, watching her descent with terrified brown eyes.

Their first meeting. A little Growlithe puppy, offering to play with a lonely little Vulpix. The Vulpix's voice catches in her throat, and she can't speak, only nod.

Their first date. An outgoing Growlithe taking a shy Vulpix to see the stars. They sit in silence and watch the moon wink at them.

Their first kiss. An Arcanine too small for his big body awkwardly pecking a Vulpix too big for her small body. The Vulpix smiles, blushes, and wants more.

Their wedding. An Arcanine and a Ninetales adorned with lots of white flowers. They kiss passionately now, wedded by a Magmortar in a becoming white tie.

Their first egg. A protective Arcanine sleeping next to a small Vulpix, sticky with egg fluids, warming him with his body heat. A proud Ninetales licks her first son happily.

Ninetales jolts to action, scrabbling at the rocky face with her claws, wailing. She only manages to slow her descent. Arcanine is roaring at her, roaring her name, and she realizes she loves him too much to die.

"No!" she cries passionately, digging her claws in further. She gouges a long claw-path in the cliff face, but the rock keeps giving way to her weight. It is too soft to hold her.

"You can't die this way!" Arcanine pleads.

"I love you!" Ninetales calls before a wave washes over her head. There is a second of sheer, excruciating pain, but soon she fades into an empty, empty white.


	2. Chapter 2

There is sand pressed to Ninetales' cheek when she wakes up. Wildly, she staggers to her feet and looks around. This is Huntail Bay, she knows that. She's been here before. Ocean waves wash calmingly on the beach, and a team of Pokémon are trudging on the sand towards the water, all wearing hard hats. A Pawniard grumbles that he hates this job. A Ninetales is sleeping in the water, the retreating waves pooling around her damp body.

"Another suicide, huh?" A Pikachu says to the Ninetales, prodding her gently.

"Not exactly," A Marshtomp yawns, "Just a freak accident."

"Too bad," Pikachu shrugs. An Arcanine is watching from a distance, hanging by the edges of the beach. He looks like stone. Ninetales' heart leaps in her chest. She races towards her mate on the beach, running surprisingly fast even for her.

"Arcanine!" she shrieks.

Arcanine stares straight ahead dully. He looks at the Ninetales in the waves without emotion.

"Arcanine," Ninetales breathes in his ear, curling her body into his.

Arcanine's eyes remain fixed on the sleeping Ninetales. Ninetales looks down. There is sand on her paws. _Not on them, _Ninetales realizes, _Under them._

She screams and looks at a transparent tail, a see-though paw. Looking ahead, she spot the Ninetales, being hauled out of the water, ruby eyes dark. _That's me._

A Chansey nurse waddles over and puts a fancy device over Ninetales' heart. It is circular and glints in the sunlight, but Ninetales' is predicting what'll happen. She sprints over to the body–her body–to hear a long whine.

_BEEEEEEEEEEP._

There is no heartbeat.

Ninetales stares down at her feet, looking at the beach through them.

"Wow," she says, and her voice sounds flat to her ears. Mechanic. Dead.

"No!" Arcanine screams, "No, no, no! Ninetales!" his voice cracks and he starts sobbing. He rushes forward to Ninetales' body and presses his nose to her fur.

"Sir…" the Chansey is trying to comfort Arcanine.

"Good luck," Ninetales grumbles helpfully to the Chansey. It's not like Chansey can hear her. Arcanine is the most stubborn Pokémon there is.

His next words are so quiet that Ninetales can hardly hear them, like a whisper of wind in her ear or the tinkle of sand falling.

"Please," he says, and then sniffs, "You're not dead. Come on, Ninetales, wake up. Wake up. This is my fault. Come on, Ninetales, let's wake up."

Something inside of her snaps and she begins screaming, at the sky and at Arcanine and the beach and the water and everything that ever went wrong.

"Yeah, Arcanine!" Ninetales howls, "It _is _your fault! It's your fault! You put too much weight on the cliff! Arcanine, you were the one who made me fall! You had picked a stupid flower somewhere in the woods, right? It probably weakened the rock! Flowers! Stupid flowers! Arcanine, you pansy!"

Arcanine doesn't say anything but burrows his nose deeper into Ninetales' fluffy fur. As if she can listen, he whispers, "I'm sorry. I love you. You shouldn't have gone this way."

He stalks off, and Ninetales runs to catch up with him. Finding her step beside him, she walks next to her mate. A little twinge of guilt takes her by surprise and she starts talking to him.

"No, Arcanine, I'm sorry," she starts, even though he can't hear her, "Sorry I said those things, I mean. About you. It's not your fault. It's mine. I was being really stupid," Ninetales coughs, "And… um… y'know, I was selfish. I _am _selfish. I didn't think about you or the kids or anyone. And now I'm…" she coughs again, like the word is a poffin stuck in her throat, "Dead. Yeah, sorry. I'm dead. It's not your fault. Don't worry. I'll be okay from here on out. Don't be sad about me. I'll be fine. We'll meet again, someday, Arcanine. Things have a way of working out. Take care of Vulpix and Growlithe. Make sure…" she pauses, collecting her thoughts, "Make sure they don't get drafted. Tell Vulpix that it's not cool to be a front-line fighter. Uh… thanks. I really love you."

As Arcanine strides ahead without a clear purpose, Ninetales breaks off and watches him grow smaller. As soon as she can't see him through the dense woods, Ninetales starts crying.

"PLEASE!" she wails, "I didn't want this! I said I wanted to die but I don't!"

Ninetales curls up in a ball and cries. The team carrying her body steps through her, the Chansey nurse waddling behind them. Her own eyes stare back at her. Dead. Cold. It only makes her cry harder.

"What am I supposed to do," she moans to herself. She isn't expecting an answer.

With a flash of white light, a tall, white Pokémon appears in front of her. Gold circles adorn his body, and around his head is a simple gold circlet. He radiates majesty, and Ninetales looks up, tear-streaked.

"You weren't supposed to die," he says comfortingly, in a ridiculously feminine voice that would have been funny in any other situation, "We goofed."

Suddenly Ninetales is mad again, up on her feet and staring down the god of all gods, "Yeah, you goofed up good. You control things, right, Arceus? Tell me, why am I sad? Why do I want to die? Why did you make me want to die? I don't have to be dead right now, Arceus."

She huffs and sits down, and Arceus shuffles his gold-laden feet, almost in embarrassment, and says, "Well, the sadness isn't entirely my fault. Sometimes Mespirit gets in a mood and does that, and sometimes Darkrai plays a part in-"

"But you admit that you goofed. You made a mistake."

"Well, yeah…"

"Why are you here?! Arceus, you're making me feel worse! I just left my kids and husband because of a stupid mess-up! It's your stupid faul-"

"Please shut up!" Arceus yells, then regains his composure, "I'm sorry. Please shut up. I'm here because I came to compensate."

"Oh, _joy, _I get a berry," Ninetales hisses bitterly.

"I was coming to give you a second chance, but I guess you're going to be sarcastic and annoying to me!" Arceus begins to stalk away. Ninetales processes for a few seconds and then dashes to catch up.

"Sorry, Arceus. I'm in shock," Ninetales begins. Arceus rolls his eyes.

"I want this second chance. Please, let me live with my family. Oh my god, I don't want to spend eternity on this weird beach like that ghost in Lavender Town. I want to see my kids!" Her voice cracks in desperation.

Arceus starts to glow white. Ninetales takes a swipe at him, but it goes through his body.

"Please, Arceus!" she pleads, wailing, "Please! My husband! He's going to blame himself! What if he dies too? Arceus, don't be a jerk!"

He disappears in a flamboyant flash and Ninetales feels tears again. She cries at the sky, cursing at Arceus and Giratina and Mespirit and Darkrai, and everyone who may have had a fault with her dying.

She falls asleep on the beach, and when the tide comes in it washes away the tears stuck to her face.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ninetales," a voice says, and Ninetales can hear the concern, "Ninetales, you're crying in your sleep again."

Ninetales bolts up, mouth dry like the Desert Resort, and searches around for the source. A nearby Quilava looks at her with soulful eyes, "Is there anything bothering you?"

Ninetales' body is hit with an almost physical sense of déjà vu, and she nearly falls from her cot.

"Nothing's wrong, Quilava," she finally chokes.

"That's good," he beams, "What were you dreaming about?"

"Death."

"Aren't we all?" Quilava chuckles mournfully.

"Didn't we have this conversation yesterday?" Ninetales asks. She strictly remembers it- waking up crying, Quilava, in the exact same words and tone, asking if there was anything bothering her.

"I don't think so," Quilava answers, shrugging.

"What day is it?" she asks, thoroughly terrified.

"Tuesday, the 28th," Quilava supplies helpfully.

Ninetales thanks him and lies back down so he can't see her trembling. The flames on his back, providing the watery orange lighting, slowly die down. When they go out completely and Ninetales knows he's asleep, she lets out the shaky breath she feels she's been holding in for an eternity. She permits herself only a minor panic attack, and as she lays there, hyperventilating in shock, a few words float to the top of her mind like bubbles in a soft drink.

Tuesday the 28th.

Tuesday the 28th was the day she died. Tuesday the 28th was the day she ran from the army to her childhood home pursuing a lonely, quiet death. Tuesday the 28th was yesterday.

Tuesday, October 28th.

Today.

* * *

Ninetales wakes from a shallow sleep to Chatot screaming, "Up and at 'em, fire types!". He proceeds to shriek his dreaded call at the top of his lungs for another minute, while sleepy moans crescendo around him. Some fire-type even throws a pillow at him. With a good-natured Boomburst that makes Ninetales cringe and everyone who was sleeping surely wake up, Chatot takes flight and streaks down the hall to the Ground dormitory. Even through thick walls, Ninetales can hear the wake-up bird scream at another group of sleeping Pokémon.

As the fire types sluggishly don their gear, a Dodrio zooms by, dropping a package by the door. It's a morning tradition, and as Ninetales forces herself into a too-tight Assault Vest, she can't help but wonder how early Chatot has to get up.

She remembers thinking the same thing yesterday, too. Yesterday the 28th.

As the Pokémon unwrap Dodrio's breakfast parcel (Figi Berries, same as the other 28th, of course) and chew on stale berries, Ninetales tries to pick up a conversation with the soldier next to her, a young Flareon with a hopelessly pessimistic attitude and a monotonous voice.

"Good morning," she starts. Flareon looks back at her coldly.

"If it was a good morning, we wouldn't be here," he deadpans, turning back to his Berry. Ninetales gives up hope of having a normal chat with him. The sound of chewing rises around her, and it's all quiet until the heavy footsteps.

"Attention, fire-type soldiers!" A portly Heatran thunders through the door, "The humans have made a retreat back to Saffron City! We are to follow them and destroy every last one!"

"But Commander Heatran!" Delphox cries, swallowing the last of her Figi Berry, "What if they're expecting us?"

Heatran fixes her with a steely-eyed glare, "Then we kill them anyway."

He prances off, and Ninetales stands up, having finished her berry. She shakes dust from her fur, and gently nudges Quilava up. He looks behind her, and gasps, "Ninetales, what happened to your tail?"

She frowns. This is something that didn't happen yesterday.

"What do you mean?" she twists back, trying to see her tails.

"You're missing one!" he exclaims, wide-eyed.

Bile rises in Ninetales throat and she feels another panic attack coming.

"I guess we'll have to call you Eight-tales," Camerupt jokes.

"I'm missing a tail? Are you sure, Quilava?" she asks.

"Positive. There's definitely eight of 'em now. Maybe you should have a nurse check it out?" he looks worried.

"It was probably the blasted humans!" Delphox cries, her flame shooting up, "They probably snuck in here at night and cut one of them off for a scarf!"

"Damn humans!" Ninetales growls half-heartedly, but she knows who really took her tail. It's a warning from Arceus. A warning to not die again. She makes a mental promise that she won't.

"Seriously, Ninetales," Quilava paces behind her, "There's no blood or anything. It's just gone."

"I honestly don't know what happened," she fibs, and the matter is forgotten as Flareon sneezes and accidentally ignites a passing Sunflora. He apologizes in his unique manner (a weary-sounding "Oops") as Camerupt supplies a helpful Earth Power attack, which, despite making Sunflora even more enraged, puts out the flames quite effectively. She scolds both Flareon and Camerupt vigorously, and continues on her way.

"Who's joining the fire-types today?" Quilava asks.

"Normal for certain, and probably Steel or Flying," Delphox shrugs.

"Oh, great, I'm going to be paired with _Castform_," Ninetales hisses, and everyone except Flareon laughs. Castform is, without a doubt, the most annoying Pokémon on the forces. She's only paired with Ninetales because of Ninetales' Drought ability and because Ninetales is one of the few Pokémon who can put up with her.

To prove Delphox's point, Wigglytuff waddles through the door, "Hey, fire-types!"

"Hey!" Quilava greets.

"We're going to chase the humans to Saffron with you! The flying and ice types are coming with us! Meet in the courtyard in five minutes!"

He bounces away, and Ninetales straightens up. She's the fire commander, with Quilava her second.

"Alright then, you heard Wigglytuff. Let's head out," she says, "I'll be right there."

As her commandees shuffle out, Ninetales pauses. It was this time yesterday she decided to run.

"Ninetales, are you coming?" Quilava asks, peeking back through the dormitory door.

"...Yeah," Ninetales shakes her head to clear it of the thought and follows Quilava out. Maybe if she stays, something good will happen. Something good would be nice.

* * *

Most everyone is in the courtyard when Ninetales arrives, minus the ice types. She stands in the front with Wigglytuff and Chatot, the other two commanders, surveying her charges. Castform, in Ninetales' presence, has already morphed into Sun form and joined the fire troops. Flareon's assault vest hangs from his frame awkwardly, but there are no tighter ones. Delphox concentrates on her flame, watching it burn brighter intently. Camerupt nervously jingles the Mega Stone on a simple cord around his neck. Quilava smiles at Ninetales when she reaches him. Nobody has noticed her missing tail yet.

The soldiers begin to talk quietly, and when the ice types arrive, the sound has grown monstrous. Ninetales herself has picked up a friendly chat with jolly Wigglytuff and loud Chatot, and soon Aurorus takes his place beside them. With a staccato Chatter, Chatot silences the foot soldiers.

The talking has been so loud that no one noticed the buzzing.

As Ninetales turns her head to the sky to notice the helicopter above them, the first bomb falls.

There is a boom, but Ninetales can't hear it because of a strange ringing in her ears. She struggles to her feet and shrieks, "Fire troops! On your toes!"

She launches a Fire Blast at a helicopter and it drops from the sky, black smoke streaming into the sky like the tail to a comet. Flareon leaps into the dirt, killing the pilot with a Dig. He rejoins Ninetales drenched in blood.

"Saffron City was a setup!" Wigglytuff yells as another bomb tosses Ninetales into a wall. As she shakily gets to her feet, he continues, "That's where they make weapons!"

An Avalugg blasts a bomb with Ice Beam so that it never falls, exploding in midair like a deadly firework. The flying type soldiers all take off, Chatot in the lead, sending a barrage of attacks at the helicopters. It looks like the Pokémon are winning, and then the reinforcements come.

Another buzzing metal behemoth soars into the battlefield and explodes into humans. Like Combee from a hive, they pour out of the aircraft, parachutes snapping open behind them. Before they touch the ground their guns and blades are ready, and they attack the avian Pokémon. A Skarmory falls beside Ninetales, says "Swellow" and nothing else. The ground turns dark beneath him.

As the first human touches down, Ninetales blasts him with Flamethrower. He screams "Human! Human man human!" and races over. A bullet pierces Ninetales' leg, but she uses Extrasensory and the human is still. Delphox falls with a bullet in her neck, splattering Ninetales with blood. Quilava fights valiantly against three soldiers but is quickly overwhelmed. His head rolls to a stop beside Ninetales.

"No!" she screeches with horror, surveying her rapidly diminishing forces.

"Commander Ninetales, you have to run!" A Cincinno shrieks, blood dripping from her mouth, "May Arceus himself-"

Ninetales breaks into a sprint towards the exit, wind whistling by her, so she doesn't see Cincinno fall with blank eyes. Her wounded leg forces her to a hobble, but she ignores the white lacing the corners of her vision.

Ninetales falls and has no time to feel pain before everything turns into an empty, empty scream.


End file.
